Queen Cheorin Starts Second Half with Ratings Still Steady at 12.517% for Episode 11
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Watching tvN drama Queen Cheorin (Mr. Queen) reminds me of the worst and most sincere excesses of my (and many others) attempts at writing. We try too hard, and have too much to say. Individual sentences works, broader concepts are interesting, but in the earnestness of trying to convey it ends up jumping topics and tones. QC can’t decide if it’s a comedy or deadly palace intrigue, and trying to blend the two together and calling it fusion doesn’t work because the two sides never mesh. It’s like two different dramas residing in the same drama and that takes away from the two separate components. The two leads Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyun remain such great actors and exude beautiful onscreen charisma I don’t have the heart to drop this drama but goodness is the the plot taxing to watch. It also hurts that I don’t like the second leads, whether in character or actor/actress as usually sageuks need also good supporting roles to really coalesce to deliver a cohesive and impactful story. Right now everyone but the Queen and King (and their retainers) can drop off a cliff and I wouldn’t care.
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Not feeling the drama as much as I used to but it’s still alright and not yet droppable. Off to watch EP11.
After watching EP11, I have to agree that the drama isn’t sure what it is or wants to be. Bong Hwan is the title character, right? But I don’t know his goals/motivations anymore. Since he’s no longer trying to find a way back to the modern era, is he just trying to make do with his new reality in Joseon and be queen? Flirting with the new concubines to find his/her identity? Okay, then what? Also, I feel like he’s dumbed down since So Yong’s memories returned.
I’m annoyed with every single main character: the concubitch and her myopic grudge towards the queen (who hasn’t wronged her in any way as we’ve seen so far), the queen dowager vs. grand queen dowager with the queen in the middle (why why why didn’t GQD just off the QD when she had the chance? Now she’s gotten ammo to use against the Kims), the king vs. the cousin (who needs to get over his crush and his annoying temper that just gets in the way). There isn’t a single one in the bunch I want to root for. I wouldn’t care either if they ALL fell off a cliff and that includes the king and queen.
I’m not feeling the drama much these days, but won’t drop it. Curious to see how the authors will wrap it up. Ep 11 was incredibly boring. And the thing I really don’t like about this show is how little interaction there is between the leads. Like… the plot doesn’t flow? Sometimes there’a lot of palace politics in one ep, and sometimes there’s not much. It’s kinda draggy with alot of filler scenes, materials and characters/storylines.
seeing the ratings and the buzz it seems like their fusion of palace politics and comedy is working really well for them…
every single segeuk rom-com will have palace politics and its inevitable…
they are balacing both the comedy and the politics really well…
I also wish the writer/s were better in writing the “actual” plot and not just the comedic scenes skillfully executed mostly by SHS but I’ve accepted that I’m watching it for the laughs and for the great acting of the 2 leads so I will most probably see this through.
I dont think I’ve ever seen a fusion historical do a straight-up comedy?
There’s always a B-plot with political or (in the case of Joseon X-Files and Kingdom) supernatural intrigue. This drama happens to balance three layers.
I dont mind it, and the Queen’s unwitting plays in the political chessboard add to the humor.
I think the problem comes from the irrelevant sidecharacters who dont add to the plot other than to be caricatures.
It wouldve been funny if they meta acknowledged how stereotypical it is.
Ie. If they made the drama based off a fictional kingdom, they couldve had the Chef come to his deductions based on historical drama stereotypes instead of his mom’s historical teachings.
Still enjoying it and Run On though (unlike Uncanny Counter which has since become slightly boring)
There are tons of Kdramas that seem like two different dramas/stories were combined together.
But in sageuks, even that works better than any other genre.
So, let’s not nitpick to the fullest, guys.
It’s funny anyway.
Whenever the second male lead comes into the screen my face immediately crinkles, I outright hate him, and his “looking out for the queen” please throw him off a cliff already
I love how you worded this and yes. My eye roll back into my head when he makes that constipated ‘I am fury’ face.
Comeback to the real life please,so tired for saeguk and the chef acting roles getting weird,saw him started liking the king makes me sick while knowing its a man inside,i am sorry just disgust,i wanna see him wake up from comma and have a real girlfriend in the real life
Ew a homophobe in 2021 yikes gross
wow homophobic much?
Sad that your name means beautiful gem but your comment is so ugly.
Hope you learn some love and acceptance in 2021
To people who are homophobic and disgusted by a man falling in love with another man, why are you even watching this drama lol. Surely you are aware of the basic plot of the original drama? It makes me deeply uncomfortable to encounter such bigoted and hateful view in a post specifically about a gender-bender drama.